The invention relates to the field of gaming machines. In particular, this invention relates to a slot machine that provides telephone service, such as free long distance calls, in response to the playing of the slot machine.
Casinos profit from their patrons frequently playing their gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker or video blackjack. Each gambling machine is designed to ensure that, on average, the casino retains a predetermined percentage of the total amount gambled (the hold percentage or "vig"). In fact, gaming machines generally have a very high hold percentage, often surpassing the table games of blackjack, roulette or craps. Thus, the more these gambling machines are played, the greater is the revenue to the casino. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to provide ways to maintain player interest and keep players of gambling machines playing longer. Moreover, casinos are always looking for new, fun ways to attract players to the slot machines, as well as to draw existing players away from competing casinos.
To try to satisfy this need, casinos have instituted slot machine marketing programs, which reward slot players with bonus points in proportion to the amount of their play. Each slot player is entitled to a slot card and an account upon signing up at the casino. The player then selects a slot machine and inserts the slot card into the machine before playing. Each time the player plays the slot machine, using currency such as bills, coins, casino tokens or casino play credits, a central computer adds bonus points to the player's account. After the player finishes playing the accumulated bonus points may be redeemed for food and drinks, prizes and services. This concept is analogous to an airline "frequent flyer" program--the more you fly, the more bonus miles you receive.
Slot card programs, like frequent flyer programs, suffer from one major drawback, in that they merely promise future rewards. Future rewards only weakly motivate a slot player to play longer, because while the player is playing, future rewards are unseen, untouchable and generally perceived by the player as unobtainable. Accordingly, casinos need an affordable, entertaining reward that can be distributed and used immediately while the player is playing at the slot machine, thus providing the player a stronger incentive to play longer.
In addition, some casinos have provided their slot players the capability of making phone calls while they play slot machines. At one casino, cellular phone servers, much like the well-known cigarette girls of nightclubs, walk from slot machine to slot machine selling cellular phone service to the players. For this service, players are charged by the minute. In addition, at Trump Castle Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, so called "premium slot areas" have phone jacks, to which a standard telephone can be installed near each slot machine upon a player's request. Some casinos have phones installed in the slot machines. The cell phone service, phone jacks, and installed phones, however, are merely conveniences offered to the slot players so that they can make phone calls without having to leave their "lucky" or "hot" slot machines, and they do not provide any reward to the slot players for playing the machines.
Additionally, Mirage Resorts Treasure Island casino offers a video concierge service to assist slot players. This service networks a slot machine's video display to a video call center, thus providing a video conference link between the slot player and a hotel concierge. The slot player can use this system to order show tickets and make dinner or hotel reservations without having to leave the slot machine. Like the cell phone service or phone jacks, the video concierge system serves the slot players while they are playing and thus helps keep the players at the slot machines. The video concierge system, however, does not provide any free phone or other service as a reward to motivate the players to play the machines longer. The phones are "hard wired" to the video call center and cannot dial other numbers, much like a courtesy phone in a hotel where you can only dial the front desk.